Carmichaels Revisited Part III

Francis and Elizabeth Keillor Carmichael were m. c. 1794 in Aberlour, Scotland, according to the above researcher (see part II). They had 9 children:

          *Thomson (1796-1861) m. in 1826 Elizabeth Barbara Hubley (1806-1881)                     – 15 children

           David (1799-?)

           Mary Ann (1799-1874) m. William McCabe (1799-1876)

           Robert (1800-?)

           Isobel (1801-1864) m. Robert Murray (1792-1884) (s/o the above Isobel                                 Carmichael and James Murray) – 8 children

           James (1803-?)

           Elizabeth Catherine (1804-1877) m. in 1829 William Mahy (1801-1873)

           John (1806-?)

           Isaac (1808-1887) m. in 1831 Jane Hamilton (1818-?)- 10 children

In attempting to follow some of the people in these families, I either found too many people with the same name and in the same approximate time line or I didn’t find anything at all. In the case of David, I found many by that name but no other defining information to help determine David’s parents. I’ve included only the ones I have found verifiable info on. Since *Thomson is the eldest and the line I am following, I will leave him till the end of this generation.

·       David (1799-?) Closest possibilities were Spouse – Elizabeth Unknown and 2 sons: Robert W. (1850-1867) and David (1848-1868) Info from Toney River, Pictou, NS

·       Mary Ann Carmichael m. William McCabe; their daughter, also Mary Ann (no dates) m. Alexander Ross in 1858 in Loch Broom, Pictou Co. , NS  No further info

·       Robert (1800-?) Found little info on any Robert

·       Isobel Carmichael m. Robert Murray. Most of their children were b. in Merigomish, NS. Robert is the s/o James Murray who m. Isobel Carmichael, d/o William, making this Isobel and Robert 1^st cousins.

·       James (1803-?) Name too common to determine any relationship

·       Elizabeth Catherine Carmichael m. William Mahy. A son, James, was b. in 1839 in Fisher’s Grant, Pictou Co., NS

·       John (1806-?)There are a great many men named John. I found several ‘John Thomson’s’ but not enough additional info to provide any further research.

·       Isaac Carmichael m. Jane (Jenette) Hamilton; children: Sarah Jane m. Kenneth MacLeod; Mary B. m. David Dow; John Robert m. Margaret Raymond; David W. m. Cassie Fraser; Isabel m. Robert Douglas; James H. m. Elizabeth Mullins; George Henry m. Christy Ann Mullins; Isaac and Alexander – no info on these last two children.

Now, back to *Thomson

*Thomson and Barbara had 15 children:

          Henry Edward (1827- bef 1850)

          Frederick Hubley (1830-1911) m. Jane Faulds (c. 1833-1921) –                                                        12 children

          John George (1831- by 1871) m. in 1869 Teressa Shaw (1850-?); John                                            was a mariner, a Captain

          James Thomson (1832-1881) m. in 1862 Susan Roberts (1832-1913) –                         6 children

          William (1833-1852) No further info

          Alexander Francis (1835-1927) m. in1867 Ellon Dillon – 7 children This                          family moved to CA

          Daniel (1837-?) No further info

          Charles (1839-1846) No further info

          Christina Isabella (1841-1920) m. in 1870 Robert Gordon (1841-1882)                           Moved to Revere, MA

          Hannah C. (1845-1937) m. in 1872 Thomas Gordon (1842-1840) b/o                                                Robert, above; Moved to Somerville, MA

          Mary Jane (1847-1894) m. in 1875 Thomas D. Hardy (1849-1916) –                                                5 children. They remained in the Jordan River, Shelburne, NS area.

          Barbara (1849-?) A possibility that she married a Jones; insufficient                               evidence for proof

          *Henry Gordon (1850-1910) m. Mary Ellen Scarr ( - ) – 8 children – my                                             branch of this family which will follow in another segment

          Elizabeth (1851-?) – Possibly married an Isnor; insufficient                                                               evidence for proof

          Andrew (1852-?) – Can find no reference to this name; possibly a middle                       name

Siblings: Captain John George Carmichael and Mary Jane Carmichael Hardy

I find, as I go along, that more material comes to light. To do justice to the Nova Scotia Carmichaels, I want to do more than just list names. So to continue, I’m going to present Francis again, but in an expanded form. Then I’ll do the same for Thomson and finally for Henry Gordon, my gt. grandfather. This blog has taken on a life of its own. I never intended for it to become so huge, but there is ample information available that will make these people so much more than names on a paper. At this point, I’ve added the references I’ve used in all three parts so far presented.

https://www.gendisasters.com/nova-scotia/5265/springhill-ns-coal-mine-explosion-disaster-feb-1891

1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 Canadian Censuses

1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 US Federal Censuses

The Carmichael Clan Association

The Ordnance Gazetteer

Carmichael: A History of the Parish and its People Vol. 1 and 2

https://www.scotweb.co.uk/info/carmichael/

Kathryn Heaton Wells

www.carmichael.co.uk/clan/origins.htm

Life of James William Carmichael and some Tales of the Sea

http://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/carmichael-stewart-house-museum/1325

Find a Grave

Birth and death certificates

Carmichaels Revisited Part II

I have found James Carmichael, parents unknown, born c. 1690, in Blairshannoch, Aberlour, Banff, Scotland. He married Elspeth Harper, parents unknown, c. 1717, in Aberlour. I have found five children for them, all born in Aberlour.

*James and Elspeth Harper Carmichael had children:

          *William, b. 1717, d. Jul 29 1780, m. Dec 12 1749 in Mortlach, Scot. to                          Isobel Thomson, b. Mar 10 1725, d. aft. Oct 4 1774

           ^Peter, b. Apr 1, 1719, d. Jan 1, 1792, m. Jan 3 1782 in Inveravon, Banff,                               to Mary Stronach, b. 1702, d. Jun 20 1802. Their son James,                               (1752-1836) m. Jean Anderson (1761-1838)

           Margaret, b. Nov 25, 1723, d. bef. Mar 1725

           Margaret, b. bef. Mar 19 1725, d. ?

           John, b. bef. Mar 24 1728, d. 1746, Culloden, Scot.

^I found the name Peter to be used interchangeably with the name Patrick. It isn’t clear if the name was Peter Patrick, Patrick Peter, or whether one was a nickname for the other. Or there could be other reasons not yet understood by me.

To follow this line, I will proceed with *William. He and his spouse, Isobel Thomson had 10 children:

          Elizabeth (1750-?)

          John (1750-?) m. in 1776 Elspet Hepburn – 4 children

          Elspet (1753-?)

          James (1755-1836) m. in 1771 Ann McKenzie (1748-1830) – 5 children

          Isabel (1757-?) m. in 1778 James Murray (1747-?)– 8 children

          William (1759-?)

          Alexander (1761-?) m. in 1787 Margaret Achoindach+

          *Francis (1764-1838) m. in 1794 Elizabeth Keillor (1778-1838) – 9 children

          Mary (1771-?)

          Mallie (1772-1834)

+ There is a location in Scotland called Achindach

• ·       John and Elspet Hepburn Carmichael had at least 4 children: John, William, Isobel and Alexander, all born in Banff, Scotland.
• ·       James and Ann McKenzie Carmichael had at least 5 children. James and Ann immigrated c. 1778 to Pictou County, Nova Scotia. James is credited with being one of the founders of New Glasgow, NS. Their children were: Isabella, James, William, Ann and an unknown child.
• ·       Isabel and James Murray had 8 children, all born in Banff, Scot. They were: John, Isabel, Margaret, Mary, Alexander and James (twins), Robert and Francis. All were born in Aberlour, Banff, Scot. Robert is found in Nova Scotia later on. He marries another Isabel  Carmichael, dau. of Francis. This Robert and Isabel were 1^st cousins. He died there in 1884 at Fraser’s Mount, New Glasgow, NS. Other of this family may have also immigrated to NS, but I haven’t tracked them. From three fairly large gaps in the birth years of the children, it’s likely there were more children in this family.
• ·       Alexander and Margaret Achoindach Carmichael – no further information
• ·       Francis and Elizabeth Keillor Carmichael immigrated to Nova Scotia around 1798, when their son Thomson was about 2 years old.

       Home of another James Carmichael, grandson of James and Ann, New Glasgow, NS

                    From Researcher: Kathryn Heaton Wells:

                    Fisher's Grant cemetery;  Francis was granted 200 acres of land in                                        1792 {NS Land Petitions}   Francis Carmichael, b. July 13, 1764 in                                           Mortlach, Banffshire, Scotland; d. Nov 16, 1838 in Fisher's Grant,                                           Nova Scotia.  He was the son of William Carmichael and Isobelle                                           Thomson.  He m. Elizabeth Keillor.

                    Elizabeth Keillor, b. c. 1778 in Mortlach or Aberlour, Banff, Scotland; d. Nov 23,                     1838 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

          Notes for Francis Carmichael:

                    BURIED:   Fisher's Grant Cemetery, Nova Scotia

                    OCCUPATION:    Farmer

                    NOTES:  Mortlach has one of the oldest churches in Scotland, established in                         566 A.D. by the missionary Saint Molaug, a Culdee  Christian from the isle of                         Lismore and a contemporary of Saint Columba from the isle of Iona.

                    According to info. sent to me, Francis & Eliz. Keillor Carmichael moved to Nova                     Scotia about 1798 when son Thomson was only 2 yrs. Francis brother James                       was one of the founders of Pictou, Nova Scotia.  Sgt. James of the 82                                     Regiment, (or Hamilton Regiment) was given a land grant in Merigomish in                             1785 containing 200 acres of land.  Many of the regimentals had been                                   stationed at Halifax, with the exception of an expedition to Casco Bay, Maine.                        There was a contingent who were employed in the Southern States. The                     worst event to befall the reg't was the shipwreck of a transport on the coast,                           near New York when of 300 men aboard the ship, only 18 were saved. They                         were taken off of the rigging to which they had clung for a long time. The                                regiment was disbanded at Halifax at the end of the war. A large tract of land                          was set aside for them in Pictou, mainly the grants of Fisher and others, which                     had just been escheated, in spite of the efforts of Wentworth who tried to                                maintain the titles of the old grantees, but only succeeded in upholding his                              own. It included Fisher's Grant, Chance Harbour, Little Harbour, and                                      Merigomish. It was said to contain 26,030 acres in all.  

                    PROOF: I viewed Aberlour Parish Records to confirm Birth & Marriage                                    Records; Cemetery records at Hector Center, Pictou, Nova Scotia;  More                               information about this is written in the book "The history of Pictou County".                             Also see: " Loyalist and Land Settlements in Nova Scotia".   

                    Notes for Elizabeth Keillor:

                    BURIED:   Probably at Bridgewater Cemetery, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

Elizabeth Keillor is a brick wall. Days of research have given me only clues and  theories. One article I read stated that Keillor was a sept of the MacKellar clan, but I found nothing to confirm this. I found many Keillors in Angus, Scotland and Australia, but nothing that would shed any light on Elizabeth. I did locate a place called Inverkeillor in Angus. So far all things seem to point to this name being a corruption of Kellar.

Carmichael revisited Part I

According to The Carmichael Clan Association there is only one source of the name “Carmichael” and that is territorial or geographical in origin from the northern edge of the southern Uplands in Scotland.

In the year 1058, Queen Margaret chose an ancient hill fort or ‘caer’, in a prominent location close to the main route from the border, for the site of one of her first six churches to be established in the see of Glasgow. She dedicated the church to St. Michel and the district and its people became ‘of Caermichel’ when surnames became necessary in the 13^th century.

In the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th centuries, Carmichaels traveled widely. Some went to Galloway where they became kinsmen of the Stewarts of Galloway. Later they moved northward to Lismore and Appin and became kinsmen of the Stewarts of Appin and the McDougals. Further movements brought them to Ireland, the Americas, European countries and Australia. In 1997, the world-wide Carmichael population was estimated at over 42,000 with half the residents in the USA, a quarter in the UK, 10% in Canada and the remaining in Australia/Asia, Europe, and also South Africa.

The Ordnance Gazetteer for Scotland, published well over one hundred years ago, described Carmichael as a hamlet and a parish of south central Lanarkshire. It was also described as 4 ¾ miles from N to S and covering more  than 11,000 acres, of which 50 ½ are water.

From Carmichael: A History of the Parish and its People Vol. 1, there is a variety of spellings, including Carmychell (1374), Carmychale (1410), Carmichel (1470 & 1518), Cayrmichel and Cayrmychell (1474), Carmychel (1485), Carmichell (1494), Kermychell (1497), Carmechele (1517), Carmychall (1575), Carmighell (1590), Carmigell (1646), Carmichaill (1672), and Carmichaell (1684). There are also undated spellings of Karemigel, Kermikel and Kermighel. Universally, spelling wasn’t standardized until the mid-to late 1800’s. Many early documents show that even common words were spelled in various ways within the same paragraph. Once spelling became standardized, surnames soon followed and today, the family name is now accepted as Carmichael.

The lands of Carmichael were once held by Sir James de Douglas in 1321, by a Charter of Robert I. William de Carmichael, as a vassal under the Lords of Douglas, is mentioned in a charter in 1350 and his son, John de Carmychell had a charter of Carmychell lands, from William, Earl of Douglas, between 1374 and 1384. This John became the 1^st Baron of Carmichael. John died before 1410 and his brother William succeeded him. Carmichael is considered a Cadet of the Douglas Clan. Generally, Cadet refers to relationships through female lines. There have been many marriages between the two families over the last 900 years or so, that would definitely give credence to this claim.

To continue with William (from above), who had a son John, who married Lady Mary Douglas, daughter of Earl George Douglas. John fought with the French against the English and died in 1436 leaving three sons, William, Robert and John. From William, descend the Carmichaels of Meadowflat and from John, descend the Carmichaels of Balmedie, Fife. Other sources also indicates that Robert possessed land in the county of Fife.

The Carmichaels who came to Nova Scotia in the 1790’s were from Aberlour and other places in Banffshire. Since I had not been able to connect them to the Lanarkshire Carmichaels with any certainty, I sent a quick query to the Carmichael Clan office to see if they knew of a connection and could point me to some information to research. I received a very nice reply from Clan Chief Richard, himself, which said: “Your Aberlour Carmichaels are (I think) still there in Banffshire. Check out the Carmichael worldwide database for more details. From memory they are descended from the Carmichaels of Balmedie in Fife and were in Banffshire before 1650.”

And so started my journey.  I have gone over records from Fife and Banff dating back to 1600 but, as yet, have found no solid connection to the Carmichaels my family claims to be theirs. So rather than hold up the completion of this blog I will put in what I have found but will continue to search for more information. However, this blog has become extremely long so I will break it into pieces making it more manageable for all.